Superyards, Biting, Toy Storage, and Scheduling >From Our Members... Originally printed in February 2005 "I am thinking about purchasing a Superyard XT for my 8-month olds (mainly for outdoor use). I would like some feedback as to whether or not they work. Also, should I invest in a new one or look for a used one? Do they wear easily?" ~Melissa R. They are very helpful in corralling the kiddos, inside or out. When they get to the point that they can walk, all three kids could theoretically join up and push the walls over, but we never really had that experience. My kiddos are 2-mos. now and I still use the Superyard when we travel to my grandparent's very un-childproofed home in NY. We essentially use the panels to entirely "outline" the main room, blocking off access to outlets, heating vents, a stone hearth and fireplace, the TV, plant stands, etc., as opposed to creating an enclosed space. Our's was a hand-me-down, so I don't recall what they [cost] new, but I'm very grateful for ours and wouldn't hesitate to get one for any corralling or safety purposes. ~Renée R. Superyards RULE!! ~Sharon M. One of the best investments we made for safety and sanity. We bought two and hooked them together. They worked great inside and we used them when visiting relatives. Around 2-years old, they figured out that if two of them laid on one side, the third could escape and, that if during the escape, the two got off the side, the escapee could be launched into the air for everyone's amusement. We took the Superyard down and used it as a large gait to keep them away from things like the TV, stereo, and Christmas tree. A couple sheetrock screws into the wall and/or floor and it made a great wall. ~Jonathan W. ------------ "My triplets will be 11-months next week and I need some advice. My youngest, Ethan, is biting. It started with him biting his toes. Now, he is biting people. When I have him on my shoulder to rock him to sleep, he will bite my shoulder or chest. He is biting so hard that he is causing bruises. He knows what he is doing because after he is done biting, he will look up at you and giggle. It is hard to punish him when you see his little face and those dimples. My mom has told me to bite him back and give him teething toys. The teething toys seem to not be working - they are just another toy. The biting him back - I have done twice. Once, he looked at me and you would think that I took his favorite toy away. The other time, he smiled and giggled thinking I was starting a game. I always tell him, "No! Do not bite." A ny suggestions? I want to stop this before he does start biting his brothers." ~Gina C. We never had biting, but we had hair pulling, so I will tell you what we did for that. If he is biting your shoulder or chest as you rock him to sleep, I would put him down in his bed as soon as he does it, tell him, "no biting," and do not rock him; in time, he will learn that if he bites, he will not be rocked to sleep. If he grabs your leg and tries to bite, move him away and tell him no. I never did the bite or whatever back. I just couldn't do it even though it was suggested, but I have heard that it works. ~Eileen F. When I had biters, we used "biting sauce" to put a stop to it. I used Tabasco sauce. I put less than a drop on my finger, then put it on the biter's tongue, telling him that if he bites, he gets biting sauce. I started with salsa, but they loved that and asked for more. Another type of sauce would be vinegar. It only took a few times before it stopped. ~Kim R. I used to use a small drop of Ivory Liquid on the tongue, because my boys' pediatrician said the boys will think it's gross, but there is nothing harmful in it. Way-back-when, someone had recommended a sprinkle of black pepper or something spicy, but the boys' doctor said not to do that because small children can aspirate it into their lungs and it can cause a reaction similar to an asthma attack. Ivory Liquid worked well; it didn't take long for them to really hate the taste of the soap. ~Diane S. About soap... One of my boys every night tries to grab the bar of soap off the bathroom counter and eat it, so one night, we let him put it in his mouth, figuring he would learn a lesson. Well, he actually started to bite it and then proceeded to PUKE his entire dinner. Rough night that night. Live and learn. ~Deb G. ------------ "I was just wondering if anyone has some creative ideas about how to store the many stuffed animals! They actually get used many times in a day as dolls in strollers, or all lined up, etc., but at the end of the day, we just seem to pile them up against a wall. I don't really have a place for the hammock-type idea, but would be happy to hear whatever ideas have worked for anyone else." ~Nancy A. We actually keep our stuffed animals upstairs in their bedroom in their cradles, but I only put out so many at a time. Right now, we have Christmas/winter-themed animals out. When Easter comes, out come those types. There are some year-round teddy bears, but for the most part, only having a selection out at a time does help. Also, plastic bins with lids [help]. I sort toys by type, i.e. Legos, etc., and bring them out one at a time. Keeps little pieces to a minimum. ~Mary Beth S. What I found helpful was those open buckets with rope handles or now, what I use is clear Tupperware containers. [The kids] can see everything and can also open it themselves. ~Nancy W. ------------ "We are starting to entertain the fact that we need a little help. Does anyone have any recommendations or any ideas on where to begin? We are a very nervous about just posting an ad, so we would like to get a referral from someone." ~Melanie M. My husband and I used a couple of web-based babysitter-finders. We too, searched CraigsList.com There is a great site called sittercity.com and one called greataupairs.com. Both are similar and there is a small fee. We were able to find several listings of people right in our town or surrounding towns. Some want part-time, some full-time, but you might be able to find what you are looking for. ~Jenny L. Check if your local high school (or middle school) or Department of Community Services offers a babysitters class. You could talk to the teacher for a referral. We have had best luck with young (12-14-yo) sitters. They have more energy and are so motivated to do their best for you. We've found sitters through my husband's classes (he teaches high school), and also older daughters of our friends. Ask around town, people you know but may not socialize with (e.g. coworkers, teachers or staff at the neighborhood elementary school, if you know anyone who coaches sports or Girl Scouts). Our kids were just over two when we started leaving them with a 13-yo sitter - she sat for us until she graduated from high school and went off to college this fall. ~Lisa G. First, I recommend placing an ad on CraigsList.com, being as specific as possible about the hours you want, etc. I have had great results this way. You can screen on-line or call them on the phone. There's a lot you can do on the computer and it cuts your time. I have asked for resumes and references via email before I ever meet someone. The other idea is to call your local pre-schools/day care centers because often teachers are looking for more babysitting work. Also, with regard to questions regarding "tummy trouble": The best I have found is the exercise tape: Abs of Steel, no joke. It's 1/2 an hour, with two levels. I used this after my first, a singleton, and am going to start using it again. I don't expect all that extra skin to go away, but strengthening the muscles underneath is half the battle. ~Michelle N. I thought I would pass on a suggestion about a book that I picked up at the library just because it caught my eye. It is called Toy Tips by Marianne M. Szymanski. It really is an informative, easy read and it even has a section on multiples and toys! ~MaryLou S. ------------ "My triplets are 7.5-months old now and we seem to be running into a few potential problems. First, we still swaddle all three of them when they go down for their nap and go to sleep at night. If we don't swaddle them, they do not fall asleep. How long did you swaddle your babies and do you think this is bad? Secondly, their nap schedule is as follows... Go down for a nap between 9-10am and sleep for about 2-2.5 hours. Go down for another nap between 2-3pm and sleep for about 1-1.5 hours. By 6:30pm, they are rubbing their eyes and we have to put them back down. The problem is that they are not ready to have another bottle then, so we have to wake them back up at 9pm to give them one last bottle for the night. Then they will only sleep to 4am. Does this sound like a good schedule?" ~Melanie M. My kids are 8-months old. We stopped swaddling them when they were about 4-months old because they kept "breaking out." I was afraid they would get tangled in the blankets. However, if your kids are comforted by it and don't move around too much, it seems like it is okay to keep swaddling them. ~Melissa R. Don't listen to "everybody" because in most cases, they are talking about full-term, singleton babies. Our triplets didn't sleep through the night until 10-months, but I know we were late. The EI nurse said they were fine and that just happened to be what worked for them. They didn't nap nearly as long or as often as yours, so that seems to be a real positive point for you. What would happen if you didn't wake them at 9pm for the bottle? Or, what if you start putting some cereal in that last bottle and maybe they will be full enough to sleep later in the morning? One more thing... on the swaddling... Have you tried those Sleep Sacks where you can zipper them into the little bags with arms? Our triplets used those well-past 12 months and loved them. Maybe it feels somewhat like swaddling, but keeps them all tucked in when the blankets would maybe come undone. Just some thoughts. ~Nancy A. We have 9-month triplets and they have a schedule similar to yours except they used to fight their 6:30pm bottle, so each night we started their bottles at 7:15/7:30pm and had them in bed awake by 8pm. Each couple of days, we would go about 5-10 minutes earlier and now, they take it at 6:30pm every night even though they have just eaten real food. Remember that everybody is different and do what is best for you and what allows you the most sleep. When they would get up in the middle of the night, I started giving them water to wean them off the formula. We also put cereal in our nighttime bottles. ~Lisa B. It's more weight than age. They sleep through the night at some point between 10-14 pounds (every baby is different, obviously, but this is for most babies). But "sleeping through" starts as what you describe - skipping one bottle, so from 10pm-6am (or in your case, 9pm-4am). You can try making dinner earlier and entertaining them until a bottle at 7pm (a compromise). But, they may get up even earlier. Or, get them up for a bottle at 10pm and see if they'll go until 6am. Anyway, what you are going through sounds "age-appropriate" to me!! As others described, if you keep making small adjustments, you can usually tweak their schedule into something that works for you. ~Lisa G.